by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant surpassed a major milestone in his recovery from an Achilles tendon tear on Saturday, returning to practice for the first time since the April 12 injury.

And while it remains unknown when he'll return to game action, this much was made clear after his first session: he's almost back. Teammates who were on hand said Bryant looked like his old self - "just at a slower pace," as guard Xavier Henry told reporters in Los Angeles.

"He looks like Kobe to me, basically," point guard Steve Blake said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "He's moving well, right back to his old self."

Said forward Pau Gasol, according to ESPN.com: ""He looked good -- really good. It was his first time back out there, but he looked really good, which I'm very happy to see."

The Lakers star has been quiet in the past few weeks about his recovery, but told former teammate Rick Fox on NBA TV on Friday that if it were the playoffs, he could play.

As for when he'll play in a regular season game, Bryant will continue monitoring his progress before determining his official return date. Team spokesman John Black told reporters that Bryant's next practice, and the team's, would be on Tuesday.

The Lakers, who are 4-7 to start the season and are coming off an 89-86 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Friday, play their next three games at home before embarking on a three-game road trip through Washington, Brooklyn, and Detroit later this month.